If you are worried about politics (like the poster above, and like my own wife), how conservative it is really comes down to the individual troops. You could visit a couple and see if you're concerned. In any case, having your kids come in contact with some actual Trump-y types is really not a bad idea.

My troop, for example, always had some kind of "non-denominational" service on Sunday mornings of a campout, but a good fraction of the leaders with atheists. They more or less ignored some of the nuttier stuff promulgated by the national council (e.g. I used to wear a badge issued by the Unitarian Universalists, who at the time were basically excommunicated by the national leadership). For the troops from the more rural areas, who we went to summer camp with, it would be a different story.

I think it is worth a shot. I did scouts growing up and enjoyed it until I was about 14. It teaches good values and useful skills. I still like the outdoors.

I also recently volunteered as a scout leader for a while. I didn't enjoy that as much. The quality of experience really depends on who you are working with. Some of the kids that get really into it are super weird, but others are just stand up young men.

It's alright. In retrospect, the nationalism they crammed into everything was kind of weird, and there were some awkward moments as an atheist. I never made it to eagle (which, at least at the time, I'd have been ineligible to receive due to my non-belief), but even getting my tenderfoot badge (pretty much the first one) I got grilled about why I didn't believe in a higher power. This was at the more easygoing troop in my small, liberal college town.

It's fun, though. Camping and burning stuff is a pretty good time. If your kid likes knots, sign him up.